Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1887-11-25
OUls STRAWBERRY MARK,
why the NHtIve-Born People or This
Great State are Called Buckeyes.
An Interesting History Of The Emblem Of Ma
tiuity Of The Third Commonwealth The
Souvenir Of the Eacampmcnt and
Centcnniai Celebration of 1888.
lFrom tbo Ohio slao Journal, NV. o, 1887

Centennial Celebration Of 1888.
from the Ohio State journal, Nov, o, 1891
MIR. A, A, Graham. Secretary of the
Ohio Archaeological nnd Historical Society,
IN Il valuable collection of "reminiscences
for the centennial year turnIahes the fol
lowing on "'rbo Origin OF Bdckeycs;"
So the interest concerning Ohio and her
! coming centennial has awakened Inquiries
in everything connected with lie state.
/ ine idea Of giving to all yisiIora buckeye
us Il suuveoir has very naturally led To the
inquiry, why are Ohio people called
Buckcyes2 ?" This question has come to
me so often lately have thought II no,
ont Of place To preaeut what have found
concerning it. can do tis no better
Than by quoting entire brilliant alter
dinner speech, given by The celebrated DR..
Daniel Dmke, the eminent physician and
botunisl OF the Ohio valley, at public
dinner given il Cincinnati on the occasion
OF her iorty-lOurth anniversary. 1t was
published in a small book on Western
history, now exceedingly rare. Iu fact l
know of but one copy ia our city. The
speech is 20 appropriate, snd so happily
expressed tia, il seems to mo no improve
meut can be made upon it, DR.. Drake
said:
'Bnt why are the natives of our valley
called Buckeyes7 and to whom are they in
debted for the epilhet2 Mr.. President, the
memory that can travel few years into
the last century, and 1t only, can supply
the answer. Az the buckeye has soft
wood, az peculiar to The valley ui the Ohio,
later emigranls TO both banks OF the river
thought it fit emblem for the native
children, whom they found untaught and
awkward, amusing themselves in the. shade
of its luxriant foliage, or sdmiring the
beautiful dyes of its rirening nuts, aud
Buckeye was therefore, at first, a nick
nnme--a term of derison. Those very
children have. however. raised it into a
title of honor! They can have no higher
eulogy.
"The tree which you have toasted, Mr..
President, has the Distinction OF beirg one
OF a family OF plants. but few species OF
which exist on earth. They constitute
the genius Aesculus of the botanist, which
belongs to the class Heptandria. Now the
latter Greek phrase, signifies seuen men,
and there happens to be exactly seven
species OF The genins--lhus they constitute
the seven wise men of the woods; in proof
OF which may mention that there is not
another family on the whole earth thai
possesses these talismanic attributes ol
wisdom. Bnt this is not all. OF the seYer
species, our emblem-tree was discovered
iGst-it is the Younges, of the family ii,
seecnth son! and who does not know tht
manifold virtues OF la seventh son
"Neither Europe nor Africa has a single
natiue species OF Aesculus and Asia bn
one. This is the Aesculus Hippocasti-
mum. or Hopechestnut. Nearly three
hundred years since a minister from ON,
Of the courts of western Europe to that o
Russia ionnd this tree growing IN Moscow
whittier II had been brought from Siberia
lie was struck with its beauty, and nat
uraIized it in his own country, 1t spread
with astnnishinu rauiditv over Lhat pnri
oil tile continent, and crossing the channel
became one of the Eavorile shade trees 0
our English ancestors,
"Such is the power of the buckeye wand
and its influence has not been limited "a
the West. We may fesrlessly assert tha
it has been felt over the whole of our COM
mon country, Till the time when the
buckeye tree was discovered. GLOW, indeed
had been the progress of society in tie new
world. With the exception Of the revolu-
tioh, but lIlle had been achieved and but
little WAS in prospect, Since that era So
ciely has been progressive, higher deslne
have been untolded, and a reRctive Buck
eye influence, perceptibc to all acute OBJ
servers, must assist in eievnjing our be-
loved country among lhe nations OF tn,
earth.
From the very beginning of emigra-
tion il has been friend to the newcomers
Delighting IN the richest soils. they soor
learned 10 take counsel from it in the Sc
lection OF their land; and it never ye
proved fallhless To anyone who confde,
in it.
when the frat log cabin was to b,
hasily put up the suGtncss and lighlness
OF its wood made it precioua. for in hos,
times laborers were few and axes one,
broken in hard timber could not be repair,
ed. Ii WAS, morever, OF all the trees oil lh,
forest, that which best arrested the riff,
bullets Of the Indian.
"When the infant Buckeyes came fortl,
to render these solitary cabins vocal and
make them instinct with life, cradles were
necessary, and they could noi be so easily
dug out OF any other tree. Thousands d
men and women, who are now active anc
respectable performers on the great the-
ater OF Western society, were once rocket
in Buckeye irougha.
every native Of the Valley Of the OH,
should feel proud OF the arpeilatlon
which, from the infancy OF our settlements
has conferred upon him; for the Buckeye
has many qualities, which may be regareec
as typical of noble character.
at is not merely native of tbs West
but peculiar TO it; has received from The
botanisis the specific name OF Ohioensls
from its abundance in our beautiful valley
and is the only tree Of our whole iores
Iha! does not grow elsewhere. What 9TH
er tree that could be SO fit an emblem o.
our native population
"ln the early dsyr, when boundesi
and lofty wilderness oyershndowed every
hobltalion, to destroy the trees and max,
way for growth of corn was the grea
ohiecl-hic obOr, hic opus erat. Now, the